Metallic railway-tie



H. A. SAATHOFF. METALLIC RAILWAY TIE.

(mi Model.) I

(Application filed May 29, 1897,)

Patented Aug. le, |898.

ma uname PETERS co. Pno'murno.. msm

woran, n. c.

HARM A. SAATHOFF,

triton.

OF MENLO, KANSAS.

METALLIC RAILWAY-TIE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 609,123, dated August16, 1898.

Application led May 29, 1897. Serial No. 638,699. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HARM A. SAATHOFF, a citizen of theUnitedStates,residing at Menlo, in the county of Sheridan and State of Kan-`sas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MetallicRailway-Ties; and I do hereby'declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains ,to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in metallicrailway-ties and it consists in the construction and arrangement ofparts, as hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out particularlyinthe claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a 'railway-tie of thecharacter set forth that shall be cheap and simple of construction andone which has undercut portions for engagement with the outer'lianges ofT-rails, said tie being so constructed that a securing-plate may bebolted upon its upper face for holding the lianges upon the inner sidesof said rails, which object is attained by the construction illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a verticallongitudinal section through a railway-tie as made in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a general perspective View of the tie, the railsbeing removed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective of the securing-plate.

My improved tie is preferably stamped from sheet-steel for cheapness andlightness of construction, the ends thereof being raised so as to formridges 2 2. The outer ends of said ridges gradually slope down, as shownin Fig. 2, until they meet the base-lines of the sides. The inner endsof said ridges are undercut at such an angle as to snugly fit the outerflange of the common T-rail.

The central portion of the tie is flattened at 3, as clearly shown inFig. 2, and provided with apertures 4 4 for a purpose hereinafterreferred to. i

v The distance between the rails 5 5 when resting upon portion 3 of thetie with their outer iianges snugly fitted in the undercut of ridges 2is such as to allow the iange of carwheels (not shown) to entertherebetween.

6 represents the securing-plate, which has its ends bent upward at suchangles as to iit upon the flanges of the rails at the inner sidesthereof. Said plate 6 is provided with perforations 7 7, which are insuch position as to register with apertures 4 4 of the tie, and saidplate is adapted to be secured upon said tie by passing bolts S 8`throughapertures 4 .and 7, said bolts receiving suitable nuts upon theirlower threaded ends'. It will be seen that by thus locking the rails thegage or distance therebetween may be perfectly maintained.

It will thus be seen by reference to Fig. 2 that the ends of the tieextend downward below its main portion, and the inner extremities ofsaid ends are cut in, so as to form prongs 9, for a purpose hereinafterreferred to. Before the tie is pressed into the form shown the flatmetal sheet of which it is composed lies in a plane with the centralportion 3, and as the ridges 2 are forced upward V-shaped cuts are madeat their inner ends, one side of each cut being raised to form theundercut end above referred to. Thus it will be obvious that the tie maybe made bya single operation.

It will be understood that as this improved tie is laid upon a road-bedand pressure applied to its upper side the soil or material from suchbed will have a tendency to crowd inward and upward as it sinks and notoutward therefrom. Any Vibration of the rails secured upon this improvedtie would have a tendency to pack the road-bed thereunder. It will alsobe seen that by reason of the direction in which the size of the tieextends 'transverse movement would be impossible,

as also would any longitudinal movement on account of prongs 9 9, whichare so formed as to securely hold the tie from such movement in eitherdirection.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Arailway-tie formed of sheet-steel, having its ends raised centrallyto anapex, the

inner extremities of said ends beingundercut IOO so as to snugly iitupon the iianges of the outer sides of rails 5, the securing-plate 6having its ends raised at such an angle as to bear upon the inneriianges of said rails, said plate plate being provided With apertureswhich are adapted to register, and the bolts and nuts for binding saidplate upon said tie, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

HARM A. SAATHOFF.

Witnesses:

II. L. KORB, GROVER WALKER.

